Adjustable joint for expansible frames



FIG.

April 18, 1950 ADJUSTABLE JOINT FDR EXPANSIBLE FRAMES Filed Sept. 27,1948 INVENTOR DANIEL A. EBERHARDT BY/VWZQM ATTORNEY D. A. EBERHARDT2,504,188 I Patented Apr. 18, 1 950 OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE JOINT FOR EXPANSIBLE FRAMES 2. Claims.

Th s invention r la e to. an a justable joint. including a clamp orlook, for the members of an extensible frame such as a trouser creaser.

nv nt on. r la s oan mp ovem in a device disclosed in Patent No.2,294,963, issuedto Daniel A. Eberhardt, the Present inventor. Theinvention is also. an improvement, in a device disclosed his;application Serial No. 792,398-, filed; December 18,-, 1 947. lfhedevice of the pr ent nv ntiqn, whi e t nin ome of the features of thefirst mentioned patent, emplors a s mewhat di er nt t tu e with; di sentme e ofop rati It i i gu shes i o he s minad c y a muc imrlifiecstructure il re a n s s ma e r i a i riv A summary s atem t of; the n enicn can est be made by referen e t th accomp ny n draw n s and is d f rd. until; after the follow dcsc pti n. f

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofa. trouser creaser em" bodyin the inv ntion;

Fig. 2. is. a. p rsp ctive view of: an. adjustabl join with clamp orlook, inclu ed; in said creaser;

Figs. 3 and 4 are end. views; of the joint shown in Fig. 2 and showingthe relationship of the parts in clamping position and releasedposition; and

Fig. 5. is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the j ointin a modifiedform.

Whilethe invention is defined in the appended claims, a summarydescription of it, without intent of' limiting it beyond that requiredby the claims, will assist in understanding them and the later detaildescription of the invention. as it is embodied in a preferredstructure.

I'he joint is. 91.. a 93-11 of adjacent relatively slidable rod sectionsII and I2' which have spaced members or collars l3 for maintaining thesections l I and 12 in sliding relationship and substantially contiguousbut for a bowed portion i l (Fig. 5) or [5 (in the other figures), inone. rod, hereby proriding a recess [6 between the rods.

A key 1-1; (Fig. 5) or l8' (in the other figures) has an orifice throughwhich the rod l2 passes, and has a portion positioned in the recess it.The key I! or I8 has a bent portion at its inner end (lying within therecess 16) so constructed and arranged that the key is normally in anoblique position (Figs. 3 and 5) with respect to the rod l2. Thisprevents movement of the rod l2 to the right, as shown in the drawings.The inner end of the key, however, is so constructed as to permitrelative movement of the rods in the opposite direction; that ismovement of the rod l2 to the left. By movement of the key toward aperpendicular position, free movement of the rods in either direction ispermitted.

To construct the inner end of the key so that it will have the functionsdescribed, the key H in Fig. 5, which is the simpler construction, has alug is bent over forming a shoulder 20. When the device is not underpressure or strain it assumes the oblique position shown in Fig. 5. Uponmovement of the rod ii to the right, the shoulder 28 will engage theinner surface of" the bowed section M, keeping the key ll oblique andthereby cramping and locking the rod l2 against further movement. When,however, the rod i2 is moved to the left the end of the lug l9 willstrike the inner surface of the bowed section I l, moving the key towarda perpendicular position on the rod l2, and permitting its movement inthat direction.

Obviously the slightly more complex structure shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4will operate similarly. This structure is provided to prevent accidentaloverthrow of the key it to oblique clamping position by manual movement.In these figu-res the key It, has a curved or arched portion 2i and astraight portion 22. which cooperates with corresponding shaping, of thebowed portion 1.5 to secure this result.

A more detail description of the invention and oi the embodimentillustrated in the drawings will assist in understanding and practicingthe invention, It is shown as embodied in a trouser creaser, which is anextensible frame structure adapted. to be inserted in the leg of atrouser when the trouser is damp and expanded to full open position. Thepurpose of the frame is to, give, shape to the trouser leg as it dries.

The creaser includes two cooperating members, a side member 25 which hasinwardly extending arms or bars H, and a side member 26 which hasinwardly extending arms or bars ir2'. These- "rnernbers 25, and 2.5 withtheir arms l-lv and i2- are preferably constructed of flat galvanizedsteel wi-re.

These members 25; and 25 with their inwardly extending arms are soarranged that an arm or rod section II and a rod section I2 aremaintained in sliding relationship and substantially contiguous by meansof spacing members or collars it. These collars I3, as specificallyshown, are secured to the end of a rod section and about an adjacentsection to permit free sliding movement. That is to say, a collar I3,Fig. 2, is secured to the end of the rod section II and surrounds therod section l2 in such a 3 manner as to permit the section l2 to slidefreely therethrough.

A look which has been previously summarily described, includes a bowedsection M (Fig. 5) or a section IS (in the other figures) in the rodsection II. It also includes a key I! or is which cooperates with theinner surface of the bowed section to lock or release the rod sectionrelative to each other in the manner intended.

In accordance with this invention the lock is so constructed that itpermits the frame to be expanded without manipulation of the look, whilepreventing a collapsing of the frame until the lock is manipulated. Thatis to say, it permits relative movement of the rod sections H and I2 inone direction while restraining them from relative movement in the otherdirection.

The key H or is has an orifice r apertur 2! which is slightly largerthan the rod section l2 which passes through it and such as to permitthe key to slide freely on the rod sections unless it is placed in acramping position. Such a cramping position is assumed when the key isoblique to the rod section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. pendicularposition the rod section 12 is free to move therethrough.

As previously described the inner end of the key (IT or it) which lieswithin a recess 16 of the bowed section is (Fig. 5, or I in the otherfigures) is so constructed as to give the key a directional tendencyThus when there is no stress upon the parts the key will lie as shown inFigs. 3 and 5, oblique to the rod section iii. If the frame is to beextended, the rod section l2 moved to the left as shown in the figures,the interior surface of the recessed or bowed portion M will strike theend of the lug IS on the key 11 urging the key toward perpendicularposition and permitting further movement. If the frame is to becompressed the interior surface of the bowed section I 4 will contactthe shoulder 20 holding the key in oblique position, thus cramping thekey in the rod I2 and thereby locking the sections. Upon manualadjustment of the key toward a perpendicular position the rod sections iI and I2 may be freed for relative movement.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is the simpler construction. Under somecircumstances, however, by reason of slightly defective workmanship orexcessive pressure, the key I! by manual adjustment can be overthrownthereby locking the sections together when such is not intended. Aslightly more complex structure, shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,substantially eliminates this possibility. Otherwise, however, the keyl8 functions in the same manner as described in connection with the keyI! in Fig. 5. Th key l8 has acurved portion 2] which fits acorrespondingly curved portion 28 in the bowed section [5. There is alsoa horizontal section 29 in the bowed section 15, the inner surface ofwhich forms a bearing for the straight portion 22 on the end of the keyI3.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction, within thescope of the appended When the key is moved toward a per- 4 claims,without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of theinvention may be used without the whole and improvements may be addedwhile retaining the combination and advantages of this invention.

I claim:

1. An adjustable joint for an expansible frame comprising a pair ofadjacent relatively slidable rod sections, spaced members formaintaining said sections in slidin relationship and substantiallycontiguous but for a bowed portion in one rod providing a recess betweenthe rods, and a key having a portion positioned in said recess formed bythe bowed portion in one rod and having an orifice through which theother rod passes, the key having a lug at its inner end positionedangularly with respect to the remaining portion of the key and therebyforming a shoulder on the inner end of the key, the inner end of the keyand the bowed portion being so constructed and arranged that the key isnormally held oblique with respect to the other or straight rod, theshoulder engaging the inner surface of the bowed portion to cause suchobliquity and thereby clamp and hold the rods against relative movementin one direction, but in movement of the rods in the opposite directionthe lug engages the inner surface of the bowed portion, moving the keytoward perpendicular position, thereby permitting free relative movementof the rods in that direction.

2. An adjustable joint for an expansible frame comprising a pair ofadjacent relatively slidable rod sections, spaced members formaintaining said sections in sliding relationship and substantiallycontiguous but for a bowed portion in one rod providing a recess betweenthe rods, and a key having a portion positioned in said recess formed bythe bowed portion in the one rod and having an orifice through which theother rod passes, the key at its inner end having a bent portion soconstructed and arranged with reference to the bowed portion that itengages the inner surface of said bowed portion to hold the key obliquewith respect to the other or straight rod to clamp and hold the rodsagainst relative movement in one direction only, but permitting themanual movement of the key toward a perpendicular position to permitfree relative movement of the rods in either direction; the inner end ofthe key having a curved portion and a straight portion cooperating withthe bowed portion shaped correspondingly to the key to preventoverthrowing the key to oblique clamping position by manual movement.

DANIEL A. EBERHARDT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Eberhardt Sept. 8, 1942Number

